Samm Bennett solo videos: songs using the diddley bow

The diddley bow is the generic name given to one-string instruments from the American folkloric music tradition. The diddley bow may take the simple form of a piece of wood (for example, a 2x4) with a wire stretched across it, and some sort of resonator, like a can or box. Otherwise, it may appear as a guitar-like instrument, with a neck and a resonating body of some sort.

Samm uses a few different diddley bows. One is the "Marron Glace Guitar", with a short wooden neck, a piece of grill from a small oven, a plastic handle like one is given at a store to carry a large box home (serving as the bridge) and an aluminum tin which once contained Marron Glace pastries. In other words, it's made entirely of cast-off junk. Read more about it here.

He also uses a diddley bow made for him by James Floyd (aka Billy Sunday) of Pensacola, Florida, who makes all manner of fantastic stringed instruments (diddley bows, 3-stringers, 4-stringers, lap steels and more) out of all sorts of fanciful found materials. Check out some of his wonderful instruments here.

In addition to creating simple accompaniment by plucking the string, he also uses the diddley bow as a percussion instrument from time to time, by playing the body like a drum, or by playing the string with sticks. Whatever gets the job done.